Canon R3 has a
24.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized Stacked CMOS sensor and features Digic X processor. On the other hand, Leica Q2 has a
47.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor.
Leica Q2's sensor provides 23MP more than Canon R3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Leica Q2's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the R3 and Q2 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon R3 and Leica Q2 Cameras
Canon R3 and Leica Q2 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon R3 has 94% larger pixel area compared to Leica Q2, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon R3
96
25.0 bits
14.7 Evs
4086 ISO
Leica Q2
96
26.4 bits
13.5 Evs
2491 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Canon R3
or the
Leica Q2 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
